Category: Sporting 4x4s 
Price Range: £38,830 to £50,695
Well-built, posh image, well-equipped, good V6 diesel engine, handles well for such a large vehicle, comes in five-, six- or seven-seat form
Not a hardcore off-roader, very complex, huge and heavy
Smart-looking and relatively easy to drive, it's a credible alternative to the X5 and Range Rover Sport crew.
The diesels should be the most sought after by used buyers, and thus the best investment, as well as proving the most cost-effective to run on a day-to-day basis. Official figures say the Q7 returns 28.8mpg, compared to the 4.2 FSI's 20.8.mpg but we suspect than in real-life driving, the V8 petrol is thirstier yet, with consumption in the mid-teens more realistic.
Company car tax-payers will also pay a hefty premium: even the smaller 3.0-litre diesel returns 260g/km and the 4.2 V8 petrol a hefty 326 g/km, meaning high tax bandings all round. Ouch.
Audi dealers are generally a little cheaper for parts and servicing than those franchised to BMW or Mercedes, however, and service intervals are as calculated by the on-board computer rather than at fixed points, so if you drive gently, you need not visit the dealerships too often for an oil change.
Latest Readers' Drives About the Audi Q7
wrote on 05 07 2007